


You Only Scare the Bad Guys

by Taste_is_Sweet



Series: You Make Me Feel  Like I Am Home Again [15]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angsty Schmoop, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Gets a Hug, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hugs, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:56:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6055786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taste_is_Sweet/pseuds/Taste_is_Sweet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The girl nodded solemnly and Bucky took the bear in his hands. It'd looked enormous in her arms, but seemed terribly small with his fingers wrapped around it, like it'd burst if he squeezed too hard. The bear's fur had been worn to felt in places, with uneven stitching where rips had been repaired with more determination than skill. Bucky had to force himself to look back up at the girl's big, adoring eyes. "What's his name?"</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"Winter Soldier Bucky Bear," Mabel said, like it was so obvious she couldn't believe he was asking.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Only Scare the Bad Guys

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks (but not too many, Squeaks, I promise) goes to [Squeaky](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Squeaky) (who also gave me the title ♥), and [Shazrolane](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Shazrolane). ~~Thank you!~~ Much appreciated. :D
> 
> This fills the **Hugs** square of my [H/C Bingo](http://hc-bingo.livejournal.com/) [card](http://taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com/92414.html).

The little girl with the huge dark eyes and adorable poof of black curls wouldn't stop staring.

"Um, hi." Bucky put the acorn squash he'd been vaguely considering buying back on the pile and smiled, trying not to grimace or show too much teeth. "Are you lost?"

The girl's mouth dropped open, then she whirled and bolted, rounding the end of the produce aisle and screaming, " _MOMMY!_ " at the top of her tiny lungs.

Bucky stood there like an idiot, wondering how many of the other supermarket patrons were now looking at him and speculating what he'd done to the poor kid. He didn't have the guts to check.

He should have been used to people being scared of him. He might be on the Avengers, but that didn't change who he was or anything he'd done. He was the biggest boogeyman who ever existed; a myth, urban legend and horror story all in one. No reason to think anyone would see him different than that, especially not a little kid. Hell, that kid's mom had probably told her stories about how the Winter Soldier snuck at night into the rooms of naughty little boys and girls and slit their throats or something.

Normally that wasn't an issue. Normally, if he went out with his arm covered and kept his head down, no one noticed him. Looked like this time he wasn't so lucky.

But seriously, he should've expected it. He felt stupid that he hadn't, and that it mattered.

He glanced at his mostly empty shopping cart, wondering if he should just leave. Steve would ask what happened, though, and then when Bucky told him he'd either be sad for him or disappointed he turned tail and ran. Bucky didn't know what would be worse.

He was debating if he should find the kid and her mother to apologize for frightening her, when the little girl came back, clutching a teddy bear so big it was practically half her size. The girl's harassed-looking mother was right behind. "Mabel, seriously. If you don't stop—"

"Look! Look, Mommy!" the girl exclaimed, ignoring her mother's warning entirely. "It's him! It's Bucky! It's Bucky!"

Bucky, who'd opened his mouth to apologize, shut it again. "What?"

"Mabel! Stop shouting!" her mother hissed. "I'm really sorry," she said to Bucky. "She's obsessed with the Avengers, and she's convinced you're her favorite."

"I'm her favorite?" Bucky parroted dumbly.

"He _is_ Bucky!" Mabel shouted. Then, "He is Bucky!" she repeated at a whisper that was almost as loud. "He looks like my poster! See?"

"No, honey, I really don't," her mother sighed. She tried to grab her daughter's wrist, but Mabel neatly sidestepped, then thrust her bear at Bucky. "Look!"

"It's okay. I don't mind," Bucky said quickly at the horror that crossed the mother's face. He crouched slowly, until he was closer to Mabel's height. "That's a really swell bear you have. I like his jacket." The bear was dark brown, wearing a remarkably good facsimile of his Avengers uniform. He put his hands out even more slowly. "May I look at him?"

The girl nodded solemnly and Bucky took the bear in his hands. It'd looked enormous in her arms, but seemed terribly small with his fingers wrapped around it, like it'd burst if he squeezed too hard. The bear's fur had been worn to felt in places, with uneven stitching where rips had been repaired with more determination than skill. Bucky had to force himself to look back up at the girl's big, adoring eyes. "What's his name?"

"Winter Soldier Bucky Bear," Mabel said, like it was so obvious she couldn't believe he was asking.

"Winter Soldier Bucky," Bucky repeated. He swallowed. "That's a good name. It looks like you've had this guy for a long time, huh?"

"Uh-huh." Mabel nodded. "My daddy got him for me. The Winter Soldier shoots all the monsters so they won't get me, like you do for the Aveggers. My daddy's a soldier too," she added proudly. "He told Bucky to protect me when he's not here."

"Her father's in Afghanistan," her mother said.

Bucky nodded. He'd guessed as much. He handed the bear back. "It was nice of you to show him to me," he said quietly. "I'm really glad you have a bear like that." He looked up at her mother. "I thought I'd scared her."

"Oh, no. Not at all," the woman said immediately. "I'm sorry. She was just really excited."

"You're not scary! You're nice!" Mabel blinked at him. "Are you sad?"

"No." Bucky cleared his throat then put on his most charming smile, wishing it was as easy for him now as before the war. "I'm just a little surprised. I kind of thought I was scary to everybody."

"You're not scary!" Mabel repeated hotly. "You're a soldier like my daddy. Soldiers protect us. You only scare the bad guys."

"Thank you," Bucky said, ignoring the _your work has been a gift to mankind_ hissing at the back of his skull. "I really like your bear."

Mabel looked at her bear, then at Bucky, then thrust it at him again. "Here. You can hold him. But you gotta give him back."

"Oh," Bucky took the bear automatically, stunned. He gave it a gentle hug then handed it back. "He's a good hugger, too."

Mabel beamed at him.

"We really need to go, sweetheart," her mother said, barely containing another sigh. "Thank you," She said to Bucky, gifting him with a tired smile. "That was kind."

"No trouble at all, ma'am." Bucky grinned at Mabel. It was easier to make it genuine now. "I'd never say no to a fan."

He got a small laugh and another smile for that. "Okay, Mabel," her mother said. "That's enough, now. It's time to say goodbye, so we can all finish our shopping and go home."

Mabel looked at her mother in horrified dismay, then launched herself into Bucky's arms. He wasn't expecting it, but she weighed about as much as one of the squashes from the bin and he caught her easily. He rocked back on his heels, hugging her as gently as he had her bear.

He let her go the instant she moved, then smiled and waved when she hollered 'Bye, Bucky!' and went off with her mom. His knees didn't hurt—he'd crouched for days before, a couple of minutes was nothing—but it still took him a moment or two of just staring blankly at the stupid squashes before he got enough of a grip to know he could take the cart to the checkout without anyone asking him what was wrong.

* * *

"You're back early," Steve said as soon as Bucky came in, then blinked in confusion at the single bag Bucky put on the kitchen counter. "I thought you said…." Steve blinked again at Bucky's face. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Bucky said truthfully. Inwardly he cursed himself for not being able to hide a damn thing anymore. At least not from Steve. He shrugged, busying himself with putting away the vegetables. "There was a little girl who wanted to show me her teddy bear."

"That's really cute," Steve said, but his smirk died when Bucky didn't respond. "Did she upset you?"

Bucky grimaced, glad the fridge door was between them. "No. She gave me a hug. Apparently Winter Soldier Bucky is her favorite Avenger."

Steve laughed. "I can understand that. You're my favorite Avenger too." He put his hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Buck?" Now he sounded concerned again. "You're staring at the crisper drawer like you're expecting the lettuce to make a break for it."

"What? Oh. Sorry." Bucky closed the drawer and then the fridge before he wasted more electricity. He turned around, pulling up a smile. "Just trying to decide what to make for dinner."

"Salad. That's all you bought." Steve put his hand on the back of Bucky's neck. "What's wrong?"

Bucky let out a huff of air, feeling like an idiot. "Nothing's wrong. I just…" He shrugged. "I figured I'd scared her, 'cause she was staring at me, and then as soon as I asked if she was lost she ran off screaming for her mom. But she'd done that because she wanted to show me to her mother. And then she wanted me to hug her bear."

Steve grinned, delighted. "I wish I could've seen that. The dreaded Winter Soldier hugging a little girl's teddy bear."

 _The dreaded Winter Soldier_. "Yeah." Bucky smiled despite how his throat had gone tight. "That's what I was thinking. What a riot."

Steve didn't look like it was funny anymore. "Were you worried you were going to hurt her? Because that—"

Bucky shook his head. He kept smiling, sure it'd gone fixed and brittle on his face. "Naw. It was cute. She told me how her dad's a soldier, so he got her the Winter Soldier bear for when he wasn't around." He swallowed. "She said she wasn't scared of me because I was a soldier, and soldiers protect us. And that was the funny part, right? Like you said. I'm the fucking _Winter Soldier_ and this little girl doesn't know enough to be afraid…. Damn it." He gritted his teeth, swiping at his eyes. "It is funny. It's fucking hilarious. I don't know what the hell my problem is."

"Bucky." Steve pulled him into his arms, which was the third hug that day if Bucky counted the teddy bear. "I'm sorry. It's not funny. I'm sorry and I didn't think and I'm an idiot. She wasn't scared because she's right. You're a protector. You're one of the good guys."

"I know," Bucky rasped. He was a protector now, just like he would've always been if Hydra hadn't found him. "I know that. It's just…she hugged me. And she gave me her bear and she wasn't afraid." He sniffed. "That's why I'm careful, you know? When I go out? I don't want people to see me 'cause I don't want to scare anybody anymore."

"You don't, Bucky," Steve said. "You only scare the bad guys."

Bucky snorted a wet laugh. "That's what she said." He pulled back, wiping his eyes. "Nice to know Captain America talks like a five year old."

"Well, I've been told I'm pretty smart for my age." Steve smiled at him, so much love in his expression it was almost hard to look at. "You're a hero, Bucky. You're my hero," he said, then kissed him.

Bucky kissed him back, because he loved Steve and loved kissing him, and because it was easier than saying he didn't feel like a hero. Then again, Bucky never had.

He was sure Steve didn't feel like one either. Maybe a real hero never did.

That still didn't mean he was one. But Mjölnir had let him hold her, and a little girl had hugged him and said he was her favorite Avenger and he made her feel safe. And _Steve_ thought he was a hero, and loved him because he was Bucky Barnes. And that was good enough. That was all he needed.

 

END

**Author's Note:**

> Part 15 of a series I originally thought would only have seven stories, guys! Seven! Wild, huh?
> 
> I'm thinking of ending this series at twenty stories (then again, I thought I would end it at seven....), but I need ideas! If there's anything you'd like me to write about next, please let me know in the comments. Comments are love. SO MUCH LOVE.
> 
> Speaking of love, I'm now on [Tumblr!](http://taste-is-sweet.tumblr.com/) (Or you can find out more about me [here](https://about.me/aundreasinger). ♥)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Like a Drum My Heart Never Stops Beating for You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10830885) by [the_girl_without_a_face](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_girl_without_a_face/pseuds/the_girl_without_a_face)




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